June 1, 2007
The 2007 County Directory is now available
The 2007 County Directory—the only up-to-date comprehensive listing for elected and appointed county officials across the state—is now available through NYSAC. This easy to use, county-by-county reference also has separate listings of county executives, county board chairs and more than 20 affiliated county associations.
To order your directory, visit http://www.nysac.org/About/County_Directory.php .
NYSAC sets Fall Seminar dates!
The 2007 NYSAC Annual Fall Seminar will be held September 19-21, 2007 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany. The NYSAC staff is in the process of putting together a top-notch program of standing committee meetings, educational sessions and plenary activities designed to support the ongoing efforts of today's county officials.
Check our website for updates at http://www.nysac.org/Conferences/Fall_Seminar.php .
Leaders Discuss Wicks Reform Compromise
The Governor and Legislative Leaders indicated this week that they are close to a deal on a host of end of session priorities including reform of the Wicks Law, which requires separate contractors for heating, plumbing, and electrical responsibilities on municipal construction projects larger than $50,000.
The current proposal by the Governor would increase the Wicks threshold from $50,000 to $3 million in New York City, $1.5 million in metropolitan New York City (Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk) and $500,000 for the rest of the State. Previous proposals that would have applied an annual inflationary factor to the threshold have been scrapped and replaced with a Public Works Advisory committee that would evaluate the Wicks law changes going forward. Under the proposal, projects regulated by a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) would be wholly exempt from the Wicks requirements and prompt-payment and other sub-contractor protections would now apply.
NYSAC has long advocated for reform of the Wicks Law and, absent a full repeal, believes that a Wicks threshold of $5 million for counties would be substantially more beneficial to local property taxpayers. In addition, NYSAC believes that a host of additional mandate relief measures, including collateral source and procurement reform would strengthen the package and substantially increase the value that this potential agreement will have for counties. (Ken Crannell)
Joint Conference Committee Meets to Discuss Power Plant Siting and other Bills
A panel of Senators and Assemblymembers held their first joint legislative conference committee meeting this week to identify priority bills for passage before the end of the scheduled legislation session on June 21.
The joint meeting chaired by Senator Jim Alesi (R–Monroe) and Assemblymember Bill Parment (D–Chautauqua) is charged with reaching consensus on important legislation by reviewing similar bills passed by both houses. Several topics were discussed at this first meeting including a possible compromise on a new Article X power plant siting law. The original siting law expired in 2003 and has yet to be reauthorized.
Both the Senate and Assembly have introduced separate Article X legislation this session with the Assembly passing their version earlier this week. No word on when the committee will reconvene to further debate these and possibly other issues. (Pete Savage)
Shared Services Seminar attracts 150 local officials and much discussion
Six county programs were on display this week at a Shared Services Seminar in Batavia, Genesee County. The Seminar, hosted by Cornell University and NYSAC, brought together 150 local government officials to listen to and discuss the challenges and opportunities of sharing municipal services and government consolidation.
The six programs that were presented and discussed in individual breakout sessions were:
- A county-wide code enforcement program in Wyoming County,
- Highway shared services programs in Orleans and Chemung counties,
- An employee health Insurance initiative in Tompkins County, and
- Public safety shared services initiatives in Genesee and Broome counties.
The seminar also included a presentation of findings from a shared services study conducted by SUNY Fredonia, a presentation by the Governor’s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competition, and an end-of-the-day discussion about the key points from each project.
The common theme across the projects was a desire to eliminate redundancies, streamline services, reduce costs and improve the delivery of service to citizens in the respective communities. (Mark LaVigne)
State BOE discusses one more year of lever machines
At a Wednesday May 30th meeting in Albany, Commissioners of the New York State Board of Elections (SBOE) hinted at the prospect of using our time-tested lever machines and the temporary ballot marking devices purchased for disabled voters last year for at least one more election. The SBOE expressed a desire to reimburse counties for costs associated with reprogramming the temporary ballot marking devices and drafting the ballots for the 2007 primaries and general elections. However, they first need to determine an appropriate pot of HAVA funds to cover this expense. (Adriano Bongiorno)
DESTINATON: NEW YORK – I LOVE NY Gets New Steward and New Energy
This week Governor Eliot Spitzer announced a new infusion of energy into the I Love New York campaign with the decision to contract with a major New York City based advertising and marketing firm, Saatchi and Saatchi, which will promote the state’s tourism treasures.
Tourism is a major economic engine in New York State, with travelers spending $43.4 billion in our communities in 2005, according to the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association.
The Summer issue of the NYSAC News will focus on tourism in New York State and the important role that counties play in attracting visitors and promoting all of the great destination spots that we have to offer. For information or to advertise, contact jmunguia@nysac.org. (Mark LaVigne)
Local Government Commission Announces Hearing Schedule
The Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, created by the Governor to address local government merger, consolidation, regionalized government, shared services and smart growth, has scheduled a series of four public hearings across the State. The dates and locations are:
- June 13 – Saratoga Springs
- July 25 – Long Island
- October 24 – Buffalo
- November 28 – Hudson Valley
The first public hearing will be held at the Saratoga Springs Public Library from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 13th. The hearing will feature a presentation from nationally recognized scholar David Rusk, author of Cities without Suburbs, and include both scheduled testimony and testimony from the audience. Following the testimony, the Commission will begin its deliberative session, which will also be open to the public.
Further information on the June 13th hearing is available on the Commission’s website at http://www.nyslocalgov.org/pdf/Saratoga_Hearing_61307.pdf . (Ken Crannell)
NYSAC to Testify on the Future of Court System
NYSAC will testify before the Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts. Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye established the Commission in 2006 to provide a comprehensive review of the State’s court system.
The Commission will consider the testimony they receive throughout the hearing process to develop a comprehensive plan to restructure New York’s Justice Court system.
The hearings will take place as follows:
- Albany – June 13, 2007
- Ithaca – June 26, 2007
- White Plains – September 11, 2007
- Rochester – September 25, 2007
For additional information on these hearings, visit www.nycourtreform.org . (Adriano Bongiorno)
Next Week
- The Assembly and Senate are scheduled to be in Legislative Session from Monday through Thursday.
